


Stripped

by Lothiriel84



Category: The Bunker (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, Loneliness, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Unresolved Emotional Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 22:30:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11860944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lothiriel84/pseuds/Lothiriel84
Summary: Let me see youStripped down to the boneLet me hear you cryingJust for me





	Stripped

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eruthiel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eruthiel/gifts).



He had tried to brush it off when Tom had told him something was wrong with Dave, but as he glanced down at the man lying on his own bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, he knew it was nowhere near as simple as just another case of the Mondays. Dave looked like a man who was about to give up, and he couldn’t let that happen; they couldn’t afford losing yet another member of the bunker, not now that they were down to a mere three individuals.

“Come on, mate,” he spoke, the forced cheer in his voice sounding pathetic and hollow to his own ears. “It’s time for tea and biscuits. You wouldn’t want to miss that, would you?”

Dave didn’t bother to make eye contact, vaguely shrugged his shoulders in response. “What is even the point?” he sighed, wearily. “We’re all going to die, sooner or later. It’s only a matter of time.”

“That’s – nonsense, as I’m pretty sure you know already. I won’t allow any of that.”

“Oh, really,” Dave replied at length, though he didn’t sound particularly interested. “What are you going to do, David? Hit me, like you did last week with Tom? Lock me up in the kitchen cupboard?”

David ran a hand over his face, mentally counted to ten before speaking again. “I only did what I was necessary at the time. And we’re not talking about Tom now.”

“That’s exactly the problem, David – we’re never talking about Tom. Or me, for that matter. I wonder why you still bother, if you hate us so much.”

He blinked, his brain momentarily stalling as it tried to process the accusation. “I – I never said that.”

“Yeah. You only make sure to remind us that we are not, in fact, your friends. You do that, like, all the time.”

“I don’t have friends, Dave,” he shook his head in disbelief, genuinely failing to understand what the fuss was all about. “I never had any friends.”

Dave stared at him for a long moment, then slowly propped himself up on one elbow. “Tell me, David, when was the last time you let another human being come anywhere near you? And I’m not talking about beating up Tom.”

“I don’t see how that’s relevant.”

“We’re not like you, David. All our friends are dead, and so is everyone we used to know. And we’re trapped down here, with a – a sociopath, who firmly believes human contact is the ultimate evil, and should be avoided at all costs.”

Laughter bubbled up in his throat, like grenade splinters and poisoned glass. “Right. That’s what I get for keeping you two alive all this time. You know what, I just don’t care. You can lie in here all you like, I won’t bother you anymore.”

He abruptly turned around, blindly made to the door; he was already reaching for the handle, when two hands suddenly yanked him back, and he somehow found himself being quite forcefully hugged by a sobbing Dave.

For the first time in his life, he had literally no idea what he was supposed to do, so he simply stood there, weathering the combined storm of his own emotions as well as Dave’s. The man was quite right, he had completely forgotten what this felt like – gross, and unnecessary, and yet, kind of nice, in a weird sort of way. (Still, he’d rather die than admit it out loud.)

He focussed on the damp spot of tears soaking through his shirt, awkwardly placed his palm on Dave’s back and resigned himself to waiting it all out.


End file.
